


Like A Dream I Can Reach (But Can't Quite Hold)

by ghostlygone



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Adorable Leo Valdez, Fire, Gen, Hera Babysits Leo, Toddler Leo Valdez
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22472041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostlygone/pseuds/ghostlygone
Summary: Suddenly, the toddlers hands burst into flame. She jumps back, not scared, just surprised. Very surprised.Or, Hera babysits Leo and ends up laughing her head off
Comments: 3
Kudos: 68





	Like A Dream I Can Reach (But Can't Quite Hold)

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt:  
> Can you do a Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus one where little Leo is being babysat by Hera and he does something that makes her laugh so hard that she wets herself
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

She busied herself around the kitchen, pretending to be cleaning so the toddler would explore. She had babysat Leo Valdez enough times to know that he only explored when he thought no one was watching. She had purposely left out multiple weapons - knives, swords, daggers, the whole lot - knowing he was too curious to just look at them. As if proving her right, Leo crawls over to the dagger closest to him.

He plops himself down next to it, before reaching out his chubby hands and grabbing the dagger. Hera watches carefully from the corner of her eye, waiting for him to do something with it. He had picked it up by its handle, so she knew he must be learning - the first few times he had encountered daggers, he had picked them up by the blade, and cut himself multiple times. Hera remembered how many times she had to sit him down and heal him.

He holds it up to his face, looking at his reflection curiously. Leo tilts it back and Hera waits with baited breath. She knows his little hands are no match for the weight of it. As if time slows down, Leo tilts the dagger back the slightest bit and then he's falling off the table and tumbling down to the floor. She catches him and places him down on the tiles, before turning back to 'cleaning', letting him continue. 

He takes a suspicious glance at her before he angrily crawls over to the dagger lying on the floor. Dropping himself next to it, he glares at it for a couple of minutes. She's smiling, almost laughing, at the sight: a chubby toddler glaring angrily at a small dagger. He turns his back on it then, crossing his arms and pouting. Hera turns round and leans back on the counter, watching him with a small smile on her face. They stay like that for a bit, in a comfortable silence, and it's nice. Maybe what life could be like if she wasn't immortal. But she is, and so it's not her life.

She watches him for a second longer, then turns round and goes back to what she was doing. It's silent for a couple of minutes, but then there's a loud cry of indignation and she spins round to see a beetle land on Leo's hand. He uncrosses his arms, careful not to touch the beetle, and then shakes his hand hard, obviously trying to dislodge it. When it doesn't move, he glares harder at it, and starts trying to slap it off. She sees as he grows angrier and angrier, and she can feel something in the air. Something's about to happen. Something important is about to happen. She leans forward eagerly, watching him carefully as he glares harder and harder at the beetle. She can feel the heat seep out of the air around her and she knows they're on the edge of something.

Suddenly, the toddlers hands burst into flame. She jumps back, not scared, just surprised. Very surprised. Very, very surprised. She sees the beetle burst into flames and fall to the ground, burnt to a crisp. But what almost kills her is Leo's face. His hands have gone out but he's staring at them. Looking _so_. Dam. Confused. It's enough for her to burst out laughing, and when she next looks at him, he's staring at them so hard, his head bursts into flames. The sight is hilarious and she's doubled up on the floor, laughing so hard tears are flowing from her eyes. Her sides hurt so much, she's clutching them tight and falling to the floor. When he hears her, he looks up at her, head going out. Leo crawls over until he's staring down at her. She looks up at him through her tears, and she calms down slightly, managing to breathe properly.

He reaches out for her, but just before he touches her his hands burst into flames yet again. Hera glances at his face again, and, yet again, it's hilarious. She bursts into laughter again and she's pretty sure she's wet herself laughing, which technically shouldn't be possible, but she does and it makes her laugh harder until she can barely form a coherent thought. 

When his mom comes back, an hour or so later, she finds Hera lying on the floor, watching Leo repeatedly set himself on fire, before bursting out laughing.


End file.
